


It's The Fall That's Gonna Kill You

by Netgirl_y2k



Category: Queen's Thief - Megan Whalen Turner
Genre: Gen, Yuletide 2009
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-12-21
Updated: 2009-12-21
Packaged: 2017-10-04 20:22:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,223
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/33766
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Netgirl_y2k/pseuds/Netgirl_y2k
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sophos would make a poor Queen's Thief but a good future king.</p>
            </blockquote>





	It's The Fall That's Gonna Kill You

**Author's Note:**

  * For [carocake](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=carocake).



> AU from the end of The Thief.

Eugenides found the magus talking to a tree. He was explaining how the tree remaining in Eddis would show the Attolians and the Mede that Eddis and Sounis were allies now.

Eugenides wondered if the magus had been hit on the head during their stay in the Attolian prison, and if he was planning on having the same conversation with every tree in Eddis?

"I will send your regards to your uncle, and I'm sure your father will want to visit as soon as it's diplomatically possible. I will also have some books sent from Sounis so that you can continue your education."

Eugenides stepped out from the shadows. "We have books in Eddis, you know."

The magus snorted, as though he very much doubted that there was anything worth reading in the great library of Eddis. He bid a final farewell to the tree and turned away, pausing briefly to touch the thief's shoulder. "Good luck, Eugenides. I suspect you're going to need it."

Eugenides walked over to the tree the magus had been addressing and looked up into the foliage. "Hello, Sophos. You're staying in Eddis, then?"

The young heir to Sounis smiled down at him, but Eugenides noticed that he was gripping the branch so tightly that his fingers had turned white.

"The magus thinks that if he can't convince Eddis to marry Sounis--"

"Which he can't."

"Then having me fostered here is the next best thing. And I think I'll be happy in Eddis. It's very pretty here."

"Hmm," said Eugenides, easily swinging himself up to sit next to Sophos. "Lots of cliffs and things here. I hope you're not afraid of heights."

"Not at all."

"And you're not stuck in this tree?"

"No." Sophos was a poor liar, it was a bad quality in a future king; it was what Eugenides liked most about him.

*

Sophos was sitting on the window seat in Eugenides's bedroom, reading from one of the ever changing selection of books that obscured most of the furniture. He was blocking the light Eugenides was attempting to read by.

"You do realise that there's a library right next door?" he asked.

"I've read everything in there," said Sophos.

"Everything. In the whole library. Are you sure?"

"Well," Sophos blushed. "Everything on the lower shelves. There's no ladder for reaching the higher ones."

"I got rid of it," said Eugenides. "It's good climbing practice."

Sophos held up the book he was reading so Eugenides could see the cover, it was a history of the office of the Royal Thief. "It says here that the King's Thief almost always falls to their death."

Eugenides nodded. "But almost none of them died falling from high library shelves," he said with a smile.

Sophos looked unconvinced, but put down his book and headed through to the library. Eugenides lay back on his bed, braced his feet against the carved footboard and picked up his own book. He managed to read five pages before he heard it:

Thump.

It sounded very much like the heir to Sounis falling from the fifth... no, sixth shelf of books.

Thump. Thump. Thumpthunpthumpthumpthumpthumthumpthump. Thud. Thump.

And apparently bringing most of the books in that section down with him.

Eugenides turned another page before becoming concerned and calling, "Are you all right?"

"Ow. Yes. Ow."

"Those books were arranged alphabetically, you know. I'll expect them put back the same way."

"Sometimes you're worse than the magus," called Sophos, but it wasn't without affection.

*

Eugenides had successfully concealed himself from the royal guards of Eddis, Attolia and Sounis. He'd cut his teeth hiding from roving bands of bullying cousins. So it always surprised him that Sophos seemed able to find him wherever in the palace he was.

"Will you teach me to fence?" Sophos asked, coming across him one evening while he was avoiding dining with the rest of the court.

"No."

"I don't have Pol to teach me anymore." Eugenides steadfastly ignored him. Sophos squeezed into the half-hidden alcove where Eugenides was lying and sat down next to him.

"My father is coming to visit me. I know he'll think I've been doing nothing but reading books and picking up bad habits from a thief."

"Such as reading books?" Eugenides suggested.

"Please. I know you're really good, when we were in Attolia--" Sophos clapped his hands over his mouth, as if suddenly remembering that their trip to Attolia had ended with Eugenides impaled on a sword.

Eugenides tried to glare at Sophos, but the boy looked so contrite that he couldn't keep it up. "Come on," he said, scrambling to his feet. "Let's go to dinner. I'm starving."

At dinner he made a point of sitting next to his father. Weeks later he made sure a message was sent to Sounis saying that Sophos was being drilled in sword-craft by the Eddisian Minister for War himself.

*

Eugenides and Sophos were on the palace roof. Sophos was sitting well back from the ledge with his legs crossed in front of him, he was trying not to look at Eugenides balancing precariously on the ledge.

"Why do you have to go?" Sophos asked.

Eugenides shrugged. "The queen asked me to. Besides, I want to go. Stealing information is just as hard as stealing jewels. Harder, sometimes."

"Promise that you'll be careful," said Sophos. "The queen of Attolia doesn't like you."

"She just hasn't taken the time to get to know me," said Eugenides, jumping nimbly back from the ledge. He saw that Sophos was still looking at him with wide, frightened eyes, and said, "I promise I'll be careful. Actually, there's something you can do for me while I'm in Attolia."

"Anything."

"Did you see those earrings the queen was wearing at dinner?"

"The gold ones with rubies?" asked Sophos. He blushed when Eugenides smirked at him.

"Yes. They don't suite her at all. I was going to leave them as an offering on the shrine to the God of Thieves, but I'll be away and as you won't be doing anything else..?"

"You want me to steal from the queen of Eddis?" Sophos sounded terrified.

"That's the spirit," said Eugenides, jumping back onto the ledge.

*

The first thing Eugenides did upon his return from Attolia, after speaking with the queen, was visit the temple of Hephestia. There, on the shrine to Eugenides, God of Thieves was a single gold earring set with a ruby.

"He did it." Eugenides felt oddly proud.

"I hope you appreciate it," said Eugenides's father, stepping out of the shadows. "I had to send half the guards to protect the kitchens so that he got away with it. And he nearly ran straight into the queen as he was sneaking out of her bedroom."

"Poor Sophos," said Eugenides. "I'll bet he was mortified."

"Let's just say that I don't think you have any competition for your position as Queen's Thief."

*

The Duke of Sounis was greeted by the queen of Eddis and her entire court, including her Thief. He eyed them all appraisingly before turning to his son, and clapping Sophos on the shoulder. "Well, son, I hope they're teaching you something on this godsforsaken mountain?"

The duke was looking at Eugenides's father when he asked the question, but it was Eugenides that Sophos looked at when he answered, "Yes, father, lots."


End file.
